Two weeks on, traffickers caught at Perambur railway station with 11 child victims go scot-free

CHENNAI: Two weeks after 11 children, including four girls, were rescued in a special campaign from Perambur railway station, traffickers remain free as the Government Railway Police is yet to file a case, And, according to activists, is just a tip of the iceberg.

Actions of the law enforcement agencies were not in line with the State government’s proactive policies, including SOP to identify, rescue and rehabilitate the victims of trafficking, said an activist, who was part of the rescue team.

As a part of the National Commission Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) pan-India campaign to eradicate trafficking of children for labour and flesh trade, a joint team conducted inspection on inbound trains from northern states at Perambur railway station on June 20. The team rescued 7 boys and 4 girls (15 and 17 years of age) from Sanghamitra Superfast Express, Bagmati Superfast Express and Tatanagar Express at the station, which is a transit point for the trafficking network in a gap of two hours.

They enquired five men who brought the children, and found that they have been trafficking children from Jharkhand, Odisha and Bihar as cheap labour for pharmaceutical and other companies in Gummidipoondi, Nerkundram and Ambattur. “We handed over the agents of the network along with the victims to the police and filed a complaint to take action against them and also track down the network,” said a member of the team.

After formalities, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) handed over 10 out of 11 rescued kids to their families. “They were school dropouts. The agents promised them jobs in pharmaceutical companies and bakery units,” said the source.

Though the police issued a community service report (CSR), they did not initiate a probe into the trafficking network. “Till date, the police have not filed a case in this regard and no efforts has been taken to track down the trafficking network,” an activist said and expressed his anguish over the lacklustre approach of the police department in investigating such sensitive cases, undoing the efforts of the government to end trafficking.

He recalled a similar incident last year and said they had rescued two girls (17 and 19 years) at the Central railway station. They were accompanied by two men, who claimed to be their relative.

“When we asked for the girls’ ID proof, they produced a photocopy of Aadhaar cards and claimed that they were about 25 years old. We grew suspicious over its credibility and further inquiry revealed that two girls were minors. They were tutored by the agents of traffickers, who were taking them to Bengaluru,” said the source, who was part of the rescue team.

The GRP personnel did not handle the case properly and allowed them to go without proper inquiry. “In such cases, the rescued girl or boy, below 18 years, should be produced before the CWC, which will take further course of action. But the police allowed the two men to leave with the girls. No case has been filed,” he said

A labour department official noted that the number of trafficking cases filed in Tamil Nadu is “negligible as the police personnel are unwilling to pursue the case”.

Police attached to the GRP, Perambur, said they handed over the children to CWC, but no FIR has been registered till date.